What is an Industrial Fan?
An industrial is a highly efficient, heavy duty air flow device that is constructed from exceptionally durable materials and components to withstand stringent environments and operate longer to provide constant air flow and pressure. The strength of industrial fans is due to the materials used to manufacture them, which include ball or roller bearings, continuous welds, and housings made of cast aluminum and stainless steel.
There is a wide range of uses of industrial fans, from cooling large commercial buildings to providing cooling for technical assembly operations. Regardless of the size of the workspace, air flow and circulation are critical to the health of workers and the efficiency of an application.
Types of Industrial Fans
There are several types of industrial Local Air Supply Fans that vary in the amount of air to be moved, their motor, area to be cooled, and a variety of other factors. Though there is an endless number of fans, they break down into two categories, which are centrifugal and axial.
A centrifugal fan functions like a blower and is an enclosed unit that functions like a pump. It pulls air in using a rapidly rotating impeller then pushes it out at a 90o angle; this can be seen in the image below.
An axial fan pulls and blows air parallel to its axis, causing the air to transfer axially outward. The amount of air flow and the fan design is determined by the fan‘s blades, casing, and suction nozzle. The rotational movement of an axial can be seen in the image below.
Industrial Fans Types
Air Foil Fan
An air foil fan has flat standard blades and is used in cooling towers, engine cooling, and refrigeration. They can be set up for blowing or sucking with blades that can be set at different pitch angles to adjust air flow. Air foil consume little energy and produce very little noise.
Backward Curve Fan
Backward curved fans have a single thickness and curved plate blades that prevent dust build up and expansion along the blades‘ passages. The blades curve backwards from the inner edge to the outer edge relative to the direction of the rotation. The air flow is in a radial direction due to the impeller developing static pressure because of the longer blades. Backward curved have exceptional efficiency and are suitable for high pressure applications.
Backward Inclined Fan
Backward inclined fans have simple flat backward inclined blades that do not interfere with the air flow. The blade design has a lower noise level and is energy efficient. They are designed for use in clean air and high temperature applications.
Radial Blade Fan
Radial blade fans have six to twelve flat blades that extend radially from the hub of the fan. The blades are narrow, heavy, and deep; this enables the avoidance of the accumulation of dust or sticky material on the blades. Since a radial blade does not accumulate dust or dirt, it is ideal for high pressure dust loading applications. Impellers for a radial blade fan can be paddle wheel, open wheel, backplate wheel, or steel plate designs, and they produce medium air flow.
